NY cycling

[happycampyer]

^ I was going to say, agree with the UWS call, but just for comparison purposes, I would look at options in White Plains and in the closer towns on the New Haven Line (Pelham to Larchmont, with Larchmont probably being on the extreme end of your commute time). I say this only because the difference in $/sq. ft from city to suburbs is pretty shocking and, depending on the town you choose, the public schools will be good through high school (bearing in mind that in Westchester, like pretty much everywhere, there's a high correlation between school quality and real estate prices).

[Ray]

Originally Posted by tctyres

Getting across town on anything, subway, cab, or bike, is a hassle.

But not a bad walk!

[johnmdesigner]

Are you buying or renting? Want to keep a car?
I live at 124th and Broadway so it's quite easy for me to ride across the GWB.
The Citibike share has only reached 110 on the West side so that might be something to consider if you want to use the service.
Personally, I think the area below 110 street is awful unless you live on the blocks closest to CP or Riverside. The 1,2,3 trains are overcrowded and slow. Central park West you can ride the A,B,C,D. A and D trains are express from 125 to 59 st so it's a fast trip.
Garage parking for cars is difficult to get and very expensive. You can find street parking in my neighborhood but it is a pain to move it twice a week.
Construction on all the major subway lines means they are not very useful on the weekends. We usually take a car ride somewhere and go out in the city during the week.
You might want to consider an area the realitors call Manhattan Valley, north of 110 street and along the edge of Morningside Park up to 125. Lots of new apartment buildings put up over the last few years and an interesting mix of different cultures, the Bunche school is very good, nice restaurants, decent subway and you are close to CP and GWB.

[fuzzalow]

Originally Posted by flydhest

Considering moving to NY. Office would be in midtown. Don't want a commute much past 1/2 hour, hopefully less.

1/2 hour (or less? Park Ave south of Grand Central, Kips Bay, Hells Kitchen etc.) to midtown is a very small radius. With kids also means requiring a two bedroom within that radius. If you are renting it will be at least $3,500/month for a doorman building.

Negotiations will ensure that housing in that radius is affordable. The question is, within that radius, where to live to have best cycling.

By affordable, you mean that your employer is subsidizing your housing expenses? NYC is IMO not overly expensive if you own, it can be cripplingly expensive if you rent so you will either require capital for the former, or cash flow for the latter.

I would not prioritize living in NYC if cycling was an emphasis for what you want out of living here.

[54ny77]

if you can afford it, do it. even if for a few years or so. nothin' like nyc.

would not pick queens or brooklyn if easy access cycling is priority. the only game in town (besides the city parks) is 9w over the gwb, and the commute to get there for a ride = no fun.

might suggest picking a spot and rent for a year. figure out what you like & don't like. explore.

with kids and wife like you have, as others have said, go with the uws and the the best school district you can afford.

life's an adventure!

[echappist]

Originally Posted by fuzzalow

1/2 hour (or less? Park Ave south of Grand Central, Kips Bay, Hells Kitchen etc.) to midtown is a very small radius. With kids also means requiring a two bedroom within that radius. If you are renting it will be at least $3,500/month for a doorman building.



By affordable, you mean that your employer is subsidizing your housing expenses? NYC is IMO not overly expensive if you own, it can be cripplingly expensive if you rent so you will either require capital for the former, or cash flow for the latter.

I would not prioritize living in NYC if cycling was an emphasis for what you want out of living here.

this

[thegunner]

i know i said UWS (and that's still my primary rec), but I live in midtown east near GCT, and that makes getting on the train for weekends pretty damn easy too...

you're also not getting a 2br in midtown for 3500...

[grat]

Lived in NYC for a bit. Really did not like cycling up there. There was no where good to ride in the city, the parks sucked and it took a while to ride out of the city just to ride up in Jersey.

[htwoopup]

Some random thoughts in no particular order as they come to mind. I am sure that others will have very different opinions on this but it is only from my experience with my personal biases having lived here my whole life and having brought up my daughter (she is now an adult) as a single parent here. Others have had other experiences no doubt.

From a cycling standpoint and apartment size for the dollar standpoint, agree that if you do Manhattan the UWS is best. That said, better public schools are on East Side (6 and 158). The private schools are not as non-diverse as you would expect (although not as diverse as public) but the process to get in and the cost is just stupid particularly if you are talking more than one kid. Although, the public schools are nowhere near as good. I hate to say it, but if more than one kid I would suggest Westchester and commute on the train because you only have one shot to get the kid education right. There is better car parking (you never use a car, but if you have one for getting out of town) is East Side. And, to get to the Park/ through the Park to the Hudson Greenway & GWB is cake from the UES. Plus, you can discover all kinds of other routes over other bridges (albeit with more traffic) from anywhere Upper East or West such as Van Cortlandt Park then North on the County Trailway and so on. And, UES is convenient for getting to Long Island and beaches in the summer while UWS is better for Jersey and upstate NY (and if you are going back down to DC).

[veloduffer]

Affordable may be a challenge, depending on your budget. And if you plan on owning a car, parking is $300-500 a month depending if it's an outdoor or indoor facility. Plus you will need a place for your bike; wouldn't want to keep my high end bike in the building's basement/bike closet.

You may also want to look in NJ or Westchester. Having lived on Long Island, mass transit is pretty bad. Since you're midtown, its easy to get a 35 minute express train if you live near a hub like Summit, NJ. Of course, housing isn't cheap either but more housing options and public schools are good. Property prices are cheaper in the 'burbs but property taxes are much higher since most goes to the school. NYC property prices are much more expensive but lower taxes.

[fuzzalow]

Originally Posted by thegunner

you're also not getting a 2br in midtown for 3500...

Yeah, I know. You caught me sugarcoating it on the proviso that some smart aleck thinks he can find 2-BR for less - well sure you can but you wouldn't wanna live there or in it. So yeah, 2BR try $5,000 and up.

While transitioning from Nassau County burbs to NYC we went through a lot of options to rent. Among them was a rental building called the Camargue on the UES which was not great and quite expensive. For an idea, this is the Camargue's rental company for what they offer in the NY Metro area: New York City Apartments. Bring money.

This town runs on money, in fact the entire Metro NYC area runs on money - it's just a question of how much and how fast you burn it. I know only a little about Washington D.C. as pertaining to towns like Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Georgetown. And those are nice towns much like Nassau County NY towns. But NYC compared to NW D.C. is a whole 'nother ball game. I love this town but I raised a family out in the 'burbs - LIRR is great on the Port Washington line.

Good luck to the OP but be sure to look before you leap. NYC is a great city but know what you are up against.

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by flydhest

Not sure how many realtors cycle, so I came to the experts!

PM me, I can hook you up with several.

I've lived in Manhattan for the past 13 or 14 years...but always north of the GWB: First in Inwood and now Washington Heights. When you get tired of the shellshock from real estate prices on the UWS, come check out these neighborhoods. I'm 4/10ths of a mile from the bridge, which means 15 minutes to River Road or 9W in NJ.

[flydhest]

So ... cycling is not the driving force for moving. I have great riding here. It is a combination of career opportunity with my wife wanting an opportunity to live in NY. One important aspect of the conversations so far (both with my wife and with the potential employer) is quality of life and family time. For the latter, i don't want a fairly standard 45 minute to hour+ commute. Just would stay here in DC, make less money, but be happier. So, they have to make the life I want affordable.

Sounds like we will be doing some exploring of the UWS. Any other views on Climb's point about CP versus RSP?

Cycling is important to me, but comes after family and then career. But while career is a distant second to family, cycling (as part of my general happiness/enjoyment) is a relatively close third to career. Not as important, but gets some weight.

A 30 minute train ride from the burbs often translates to an hour commute door-to-door. Not worth better cycling for me. I would be losing time with my kids so I could spend time away from my kids. Doesn't compute for me.

Oh, and our current thought is to rent for a year then buy.

[crownjewelwl]

Tarrytown is a 39 min express train to Grand Central. When we first moved to the burbs I drew a radius of no more than 40 minutes on the train WITH easy parking. You can still get a resident parking permit with no issues here (unlike to years long waiting lists in other towns). I am 7 minutes to Graham hills for great mountain biking. I am 2 blocks from the start of the North county trail which will lead you to some choice road riding.

[flydhest]

Originally Posted by crownjewelwl

Tarrytown is a 39 min express train to Grand Central. When we first moved to the burbs I drew a radius of no more than 40 minutes on the train WITH easy parking. You can still get a resident parking permit with no issues here (unlike to years long waiting lists in other towns). I am 7 minutes to Graham bills for great mountain biking. I am 2 blocks from the start of the North county trail which will lead you to some choice road riding.

Just to make sure I am thinking of this right, though, you have a 40 minute train ride plus what ever time it takes to get to the train station and park plus whatever time it takes to get from GCT to work. Even if both are fast, say 10 minutes including waiting on the platform, isn't that an hour?

Sorry if I am being thick. I know I can't replicate what I have here, but my tough commuting choice is 10-minute bike ride versus a 22 minute walk, literally door to door.